Back on the Oxford and a New Granddaughter.

Monday 16th to Friday 21st August 2021 from Eynsham to Cropredy

We had booked MM into Cropredy for 21st so that we could go home for a month because M's daughter Elle is expecting our ninth grandchild in the next few days. M had to stay home for a couple of days so R drove up to Cropredy, left the car at the marina and then took a train back to Oxford and a bus out to Eynsham to pick up MM on his own. All fairly complicated!

Having said goodbye to Richie at Eynsham, R and MM sailed together down the Thames to King's Lock, Duke's Cut and the junction with the Oxford Canal. At the junction, the vegetation almost obscures the signpost!

Being back on a narrow canal makes single handing so very much easier and, by Wednesday morning, R moored MM at Little Heyford next to Heyford Station to await M's arrival by train. The pretty little station couldn't be much closer to the canal!

As M arrived on the train, we had a lovely surprise as the driver of the train was Jon Atwood, who did all the beautiful woodwork on MM's interior. After he was made redundant by Kingsground, our boat builder, he retrained as  a train driver. It was wonderful to see him, if only briefly.

The Oxford Canal is very narrow after the wide reaches of Old Father Thames.

Somerton Deep Lock lives up to its name, it is a long way down or, in this case, up.

On Wednesday night, we moored at Aynho, where MM is booked in for a partial repaint in October. Sadly both our friend Simon and Matt, the owner, were on holiday, but the "Brew Box" was open for breakfast and M had one of their outstanding bacon butties.

In Banbury, we passed Tooley's Yard and met up with Matt Armitage, the owner, who was working on the boat moored next to us.

Our overnight mooring on Thursday was just south of Cropredy out in the countryside under a lovely evening sky.

On Friday morning, we made an early start on a glorious late summer morning in order to arrive at Cropredy by 9:00am, when the marina opens.

MM will stay here until mid September while we go home to be around to help with the new baby. After closing MM up and paying our mooring fee (and meeting Matt Armitage for a second time!), we left to drive home.

16th to 20th August: 33 miles, 21 locks and 18.5 hours.

Trip: 452 miles, 240 locks and 226.0 hours.

UPDATE!

Little Willow Elisabeth Hayes arrived on time on 27th August, weighing in at 7lbs 8oz. Both mother and baby are doing very well. She is a beautiful and very calm baby and spends most of her time eating and sleeping.

 

To Shifford Lock and Back to Eynsham.

 Monday 9th and Tuesday 10th August at Eynsham.

We awoke on Monday morning to the sight of a wild flower garden flourishing on the river bank outside our windows. Lots of willowherb.

As we went further upstream, the river became narrower and twistier. Having not seen another boat for ages, two boats passed us going in opposite directions!

Having got as far as Shifford Lock, we decided to turn around as neither wind nor weather were favourable and the river seemed barely wider than the Wey!

Back at Newbridge, we went under the Gothic arch.

Just past Newbridge is an unusual wedding venue with a double decker bus, large tent, teepee, shepherds' hut and a small narrowboat (all for camping purposes) as well as a regular campsite. It must be great fun to hold a wedding here.

On our way upstream, we had seen this mooring but it had been occupied. Now it was empty, so we moored up and got the chairs out. We spent much of the afternoon reading our books in the sunshine - something we have hardly ever done in ten years of cruising (and something we should make the time to do more of).

R had a sleep later and M went for a walk along the Thames Path through the gate into the next field.

The border between the field and the river was a riot of wildflowers, full of colour. This was a mix of purple and yellow loosestrifes and willowherb.

At the far end of this large field, it felt very remote with just the river winding by but no sign of civilisation or habitation in any direction. Such a contrast with the busy Lower Thames south of Oxford.

The sun set through the trees behind MM.

On Tuesday morning we set off back towards Eynsham.

Just before Pinkhill Lock, we moored up close to the large Farmoor Reservoir and sat out in the sunshine until it started to rain.

Later, we walked up to the edge of the reservoir, which looked to be several feet below its normal level. The Country Path runs along this side of the Thames. The Thames Path runs along the other bank.

Pinkhill Lock also has an impressive display of hollyhocks. We met the Pinkhill lockkeeper at Northwood lock doing some training there. He assured us that his Hollyhocks at Pinkhill were much bigger and better than the ones at Northwood!

Finally, we arrived back at Eynsham and R spun MM around to moor up beside Grayling.

Tomorrow, we will catch the bus into Oxford so that M can go home for the weekend and R can go North to help Christine with her water supply problems. R should be back on MM on Monday to continue up the Oxford Canal.

Two Days: 9 miles, 2 locks and 3.4 hours.

Trip: 419 miles, 219 locks and 207.5 hours.

The Upper Thames to Newbridge

Sunday 8th August 2021 at Newbridge.

Richie came on board and joined us for the Big Breakfast. It has been a while since we had the Full Monty (it is normally just cereal!).

After filling up with water, we set off in a westerly direction on the Upper Thames. The river diminishes in width all the time as you cruise further upstream.

The river at this point is very close to Brize Norton and a stream of large RAF transport aircraft passed overhead, one after another. Perhaps something to do with the recent order for all UK personnel to leave Afghanistan?

The Thames Path is a constant companion although it does not always run alongside the river.

Pretty Northmoor Lock, Hollyhocks seem to be big round her in both quantity and height!

House martins were nesting in the eaves of the lockeeper's cottage; goldfinches were feeding young on the lockside and a flock of bluetits were twittering in the bushes - all nature was there!

"Newbridge" is unusual in that it has pointed Gothic arches and is not really new as it was built around the 13th century and is one of the oldest bridges on the Thames!

It was now getting later in the day and, despite the fact that very little was moving on the river, all the moorings seemed to be taken. There were some mooring sites past the bridge but they were not easy to access as they had high banks and lots of vegetation. R tried to get into one but the current and a very strong offshore wind meant that the bow was carried across the river before he could get close to the bank and MM was almost turned around!

A struggle, lots of power and patience got MM back on track and the second attempt was more successful although it did mean stuffing MM's bow into the side and R running down the gunwale through the vegetation, grabbing the bow rope and leaping ashore before the wind caught her again. Action Man to the rescue!!!

Finally MM was safely moored up and we were quite surprised to hear a large John Deere tractor come past, mowing the grass of the meadow beside the river.

Today, the river has been windy in both senses. The wind has been fierce and both MM and R were blown around more than was comfortable. The river was also very winding and quite narrow. We are told that it gets even narrower and more winding as it gets closer to its source.

Today: 6 miles, 2 locks and 2.6 hours.

Trip: 410 miles, 217 locks and 204.1 hours.

On to Eynsham and Richie.

 Saturday 7th August 2021 in Eynsham.

A beatuiful clear early morning looking back towards Abingdon Bridge.

We always have a laugh with the Abingdon lockkeeper about this notice. Unfortunately for him we had already had breakfast, so he was unlikely to get anything from us!

The exit downstream from the lock is very narrow and marked with red buoys. So many "Hooray Henrys" ran aground by ignoring the buoys that the lockkeepers put this notice up to help the intellectually challenged.

An example of one of the "Red FloatyThings" that look a bit like Isambard Kingdom Brunel's "Stovepipe" top hat - but a bit more colourful!

Lovely Iffley Lock had a fabulous display of lavender. Most of the lock gardens are beautifully tended.

On the southern outskirts of Oxford is Osney Bridge. If you have a typical "gin palace" cruiser then you either cruise above it or below it as you will never get under it! Hooray Henrys beware!!!

Swinford Toll Bridge, which we have often driven across and paid the 5p toll on our way to see our friend Richie at Eynsham. The toll has not been collected during Covid but is, apparently, tax free - so it will probably soon return. Lots of 5ps soon add up given the large number of vehicles crossing the bridge.

Richie very kindly agreed that we could breast up against his boat "Grayling" and was waiting for us when we arrived.

He came on board for tea and it was marvellous to see him again. The last time we saw him was at Abingdon on our way south in June.

Grayling and MM happy to be together for the first time.

We quite envy Richie this mooring, it is very quiet and the sunsets are spectacular.

 

Today: 15 miles, 7 locks and 9.2 hours (including power).

Trip: 404 miles, 215 locks and 201.5 hours.

Annie & Paddy and a Day in Abingdon.

 Thursday 5th and Friday 6th August 2021 in Abingdon.

Sunrise on Thursday morning.

Mid-morning, our dear friends Annie and Paddy arrived, having driven all the way from Lydney in the Forest of Dean. We had not seen them for two years, so there was lots to catch up on.They arrived bearing a posy of sweet peas and various veg, all home grown!

They both looked very well and we made plans for when we can get together again.

Friday was mostly wet, so we stayed put all day, other than a sortie to Waitrose for provisions, going past the very impressive Town Hall

We were most impressed with the Abingdon Waitrose on two counts. The first was a new way of displaying and dispensing bulk dry ingredients, which will minimise packaging. The only place we have seen this kind of display was in "Wholefoods" in the USA. Great to see it here now!

We also liked the store café, which is named after Messers Wallace Waite & Arthur Rose.

On the walls are pictures showing the history of the store including a photograph of an early shop. The sign in the window reads "Its a long, long way to Tipperary, but the Short Cut to get the Best Value is Here!"

Back at MM, the rain and the sunshine combined to provide us with a spectacular rainbow from horizon to horizon.

 

MM took the day off.

Finally, We Caught Up with Angela and Stuart.

 Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th August 2021 to Abingdon.

Tuesday was a short day's cruising as we only got back to MM from home at lunchtime.

It was lovely, though, to be travelling in sunshine again and at teatime we arrived at "Wallingford-by-Sea", judging by the crowds at the "beach".

It is a lovely town and we just managed to squeeze in to what seemed to be the last free mooring.

The early morning sunshine picked out the church spire.

Wallingford has a Waitrose! So we set off early and walked up to the attractive town square. M went and waited outside Waitrose until they opened at 8:00am while R went for a Costa.

The Waitrose fish counter was an impressive display. What looks like conger eels is, in fact, a pair of salmon! M bought two whole rainbow trout, one of our favourite suppers.

Finally at Benson Lock, R was able to purchase a Thames licence - at last - after ten days of trying! Either the locks were unmanned or they didn't have a card machine and couldn't take cash! 

The lady lockkeeper was crouching down as she had just been suprised by a large spider on her lock controls. R rescued her by rescuing the spider!

North of Day's Lock it looks as if two large marinas are being dug out parallel to the river. Large water-filled holes being dug by diggers and lots of trucks carting away the spoil. Incidentally, Day's Lock is the home of the World Annual Poohsticks Competition!

Many of the houses on this stretch of the Thames are huge. This is just one of the larger ones!

The approach to Abingdon is lovely. The popular moorings before the bridge were all taken but there was plenty of space beyond the bridge and, in many ways, the moorings there are more nicely situated as they look over a large area of parkland.

We had caught up with Angela and Stuart on their two boats just after Culham Lock and they moored up just beyond MM - with some difficulty but lots of help!

A wedding was taking place at the Hotel opposite. The couple were certainly very lucky with the weather.

Tea and a catch-up in the shade with Angela and Stuart.

Tonight's mooring.

 

Two Days: 17 miles, 6 locks and 6.5 hours.

Trip: 389 miles, 208 locks and 192.3 hours.